Means for establishing electrical communication with moving trains.



No. 886,169. PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

' 3'. AMES.

MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION WITH MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJS. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

I. AMBS.

MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION WITH MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1907.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET -2. I

UNITED srnrns egnNT OFFICE.

JOEL AMES, OF MONTROSE. IOWA, ASSIGNQROF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD hEEC-ll, OF

I MONTROSE, IOWA.

MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION WITH MOVING TRAINS.

Application filed September 16, 1907. Serial No. 393,216.

the United States, residing at Montroso, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Establishing Electrical (ommunication with Moving Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved means for establishing electrical communication with railway trains while in motion for the purpose of communicating with such trains by telephone, telegraph or by any suitable pre-arranged system of signals for the purpose of actuating brakes when adapted to be set in motion by power actuated or energlzed by means of electricity or forany other purposes to which an electrical current may be applied; the object being to sim plify and 1mprove the construction and'operati'on of this class of devices.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has vbeenillustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the recise structural details therein exhibited, ut that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion ,of a railroad track and a portion of a train equipped. with the improved device. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional.- view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. circuit.

h Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing t e referred form of one of the contact mem ers arranged alongside the railroad perspective detail view of.

track. Fig. 5 is a the collector shoe. I

Corresponding arts in the several figures are denoted by li e characters of reference. At suitable intervals along the railroad track A are arranged contact members B consisting of spiral wire coils 1 having vertically. disposed terminals .2 and horizontally disposed terminals 3 said wire coils being secured by means of'staples 4 or in any other Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apri128, 1908.

The contact members BB are connected tor 7 which is part of a circuit including a battery C and which may'also include a telephone 8 or other suitable apparatus, and which is grounded as 'shown at 9.

The railroad train with which communication is to be established is provided with a collector shoe 10 which may beconnected Y with any one of the cars or, as shown in Fig. 1

of the drawings, with the locomotive, tender 11; said collector shoe being composed of a wire yoke having a laterally extending portion 12 adapted to contact with the upstanding terminals 2 of the contact members B; the ends of the yoke being mounted in suitable su ports 13 u on the car or tender, and one end of said 00 ector 10 being connected with a conductor consisting of a wire 14 leading to a telephone or other instrument 15 .in series by a feed wire, o'relectrical conducsuitably disposed in the locomotive cab or in some other convement locatlon, and electric ally connected by means of a wire 16 with the metallic structure. of the car which is grounded, as indicated at 17 to contact with the rails 18, thus completing the circuit.

From the foregoingdescription 'taken'in I connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the o eration and advantages of this invention wi 1 be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

It will be understood that the collector shop 10 is to be of such a length,' and that the contact members Bare to be placed at such distances a art that the collector shoe will at all times e in contact with at least one of the contact members, thus enabling communication at any time-to be established between the instruments 8 and 15. r

In lieu of the telephones conventionally indicated in the'drawmgs, it is obvious that telegraphic apparatus may be employed, and that the electrical. circuit may .be utilized to operate signals of any character or for the purpose of actuating brakes or other apparatus which has been suitably constructed with a view to being thus actuated.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is:-

1. A railroad track, an electrical conductor arranged parallel thereto, contact members arranged at suitable intervals and consisting of wire coils havin upwardly extending vertical terminals an laterally extending horizontal terminals, the latter being connected with the conductor, and a collector shoe carried by a moving train-and adapted for engagement with the upstanding terminals of the contact members.

2. In a device of the class described, a contact member consisting of a resilient wire coil havin an upstanding terminal and a laterally exten ing terminal.

3. In a device of the class described, a contact member consisting of a resilient wire coil having a vertically u standing1 terminal and a horizontal lateral y exten mg terminal, said coil being secured upon an-insulatmg plate.

4. In a device of the class described, a collector shoe. consisting of a resilient wire yoke having a laterally extending portion and upward extending imbs,and suitable supporting members connected with a railroad car.

5. In a device of the class described, a collector shoe supported 'by a car of a moving train and consisting of a resilient yoke having a laterally extended portion, a plurality 0 contact members consisting of resilient wire coils supported at intervals up 'an'electrical conductor connecting the collec- .tor shoe with the ground through the metallie-car structure, and a battery connected with the conductor connecting the contact members along the track.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOEL AMES.

Witnesses: 7

WILSON HALES, R. E. Wonsrnn,

on the track a and having) upward extending terminals e engaged by the collector sho 

